The braking system is perhaps the most critical component of your Bugeye to keep in tip-top condition. We may sound like a bit of a broken record about this, but it cannot be overstated how important your brakes are. You can have all of the fun in the world ripping around your neighborhood in your Bugeye, but if you cannot stop adequately, it is a recipe for disaster. This week, we were reminded of the importance of the hard brake lines in the braking equation.
While replacing a master cylinder on a customer’s car earlier this week, the mechanic was tightening the fitting to the brake side of the master, as is routine. However, as they tightened, the end of the line right before the first bend snapped clean off!
Original metal brake lines on Bugeye Sprites (or even steel replacements from the 70s and 80s) are incredibly susceptible to corrosion and get brittle over time, which can lead to breaks like this one, or worse, blow-outs while driving. Luckily, this happened in such a way that no fluid was spilled and while replacing the line in the shop rather than as a failure while on the road, which could have been catastrophic. Check out the video below for more information on Bugeye brake lines, and on the kit we use to replace them!
We hope you’ll take this opportunity to thoroughly inspect your entire hydraulic system, but to take special care in inspecting the hard hydraulic lines. Should you find corrosion, wear, or unsafe splices in your brake lines (like compression fittings, a BIG no-no in braking systems), it’s time to replace them! Luckily, we have a ready-made solution to make line replacement as easy as possible!
Our brake line tubing kit comes with all of the pre-cut and pre-flared hard lines necessary to replace your entire braking system. Additionally, our kits are made from copper-nickel tubing, which is easier to bend, harder to kink, and most importantly, is corrosion-resistant, meaning rust will not take hold in your brake lines, allowing them to perform as designed for far longer than traditional steel. We also have the copper-nickel line necessary for your clutch slave, as well as a complete line of brake and clutch hydraulic parts to suit your restoration needs. Click the photos below for more information on some of our hydraulic products, or click here to view our full catalog!
